Merlin and The Doctor
by superwhomerlin2000
Summary: Merlin, a lonely little boy in Ealdor, meets a strange man in the woods. Then meets him again. Then again. For years, the Doctor always comes back.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin was alone. Again. He spent most of his time alone. The other children didn't like him. He knew it was because of his father. Because he had left them. But that wasn't the only reason. They were scared of him. Because he could do things no one else could.

His mother told him to hide it, and he did. They knew he was different anyway, it didn't matter that he would never hurt a soul. Merlin was a kind and loving boy of six, and he hated being alone. He hated the way the other boys called him names and taunted him. How they tripped him when he walked past. They hit him sometimes. Rarely, because they were usually too scared, but sometimes.

Truthfully, Merlin preferred it when they made his life miserable to when they ran away. Because they weren't the only ones who were scared, and when they didn't act scared then that meant he wasn't scary, right? It meant he wasn't a monster, didn't it?

A strange sound disturbed the peace of the forest, but Merlin didn't look up. No one would find him in his tree. It was where he came when he was upset, people so very seldom look up. It was a huge, ancient oak tree on the bank of a lake, one low branch reaching over the reflective water. That was where Merlin sat now, staring at his reflection from a crook in the twisted bough. His thin face twisted. How could he be a evil? He didn't feel like it. How could his magic be evil?

He concentrated on his hands, closed tightly together, as though holding something. He felt the magic tingle through him, and smiled, knowing his eyes lit gold. He opens his hand to find a small, fragile butterfly. The jewel bright insect fluttered away, and Merlin relaxed slightly. How could something capable if creating something so beautiful be evil?

"Neat trick." A cheerful voice called. Merlin gasped and spun around so fast he fell out of his tree into the shallow waters of the lake. A woman gasped. A hand touched his shoulder and he jerked back instinctively.

"Are you alright?" A strangely accented voice asked. He looked at the speaker, terror coursing through him. It was a young woman, maybe twenty or so, with blond hair and brown eyes, wearing very odd clothing. He scrambled back, struggling to his feet, his eyes darting around.

It didn't take long to find what he was looking for. A young man stood not far away, a slight look of alarm in his brown eyes. His hair was spiky, and his face kind. He too wore strange clothes.

The woman glanced at the man, who crossed over to her side as she stood up.

"We didn't mean to frighten you." He said gently. Merlin didn't respond. "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose, what's your name, then?" Merlin's brow furrowed.

"That's a very strange name, Doctor."

The Doctor grinned at him, and shrugged. "Would you tell us where we are?"

He stepped out of the water. "Outside Ealdor, Cenrad's kingdom." He replied.

The Doctor and Rose seemed excited about this. Actually, the seemed excited in general. A voice called out faintly.

"That's my mother, I should go." Merlin turned, then paused, "My names Merlin, by the way." And with that, he darted away.

Rose and The Doctor gaped after him, then turned to each other.

"No." The Doctor looked stunned. He looked after Merlin, then back at Rose, and laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin was in his tree again. It had been six years since he last met the Doctor and Rose. He had been spending a lot less time in his tree now that Will was around. But Will wasn't in Ealdor, his mother and father and taken him away. Will had assured him they would be back, and Merlin was fairly confident that he hadn't been lying. But without Will he was an easy target for the bullies back in the village. So, he came to his tree. They were too big and stupid to find him up there, except Smith. But Smith only did what Derik told him to. Derik was the biggest and dumbest of the lot, he wouldn't think of Merlin's hiding place.

Merlin hadn't thought of the strange pair from all those years ago in a long time. But he was lonely and bored, so he let his mind wander back. Merlin was a clever boy, and eager to learn. He had a natural curiosity, and quick tongue, that often got him into trouble. That same natural curiosity nagged at him now. Who were they? The Doctor and Rose. They had been dressed and spoke strangely, he remembered that day well. They hadn't seemed to mean any harm, but they had seen him use magic. They hadn't told anyone, though. At least, not that Merlin knew of. And if they had told someone, Merlin would know.

He shuddered to think what would happen to him if someone found out. Well, apart from Will. Will knew. That thought filled him with happiness. He didn't have to hide from everyone, anymore. Someone, other than his mother, finally knew. Oh, his mother had been far from pleased when she learned that Will knew, but she also knew hiding was tearing Merlin up inside. He hated it. He was just a boy, he didn't understand king Uther's hatred. The hatred that inspired fear from the other kingdoms. they had nothing against magic, but they agreed to Uther's laws because they knew that he wouldn't hesitate to go to war.

Merlin had been sitting in his tree for about an hour when he heard it. A wheezing groan, closer than it had been last time. He recognized it instantly. The TARDIS. Not that he knew that, but he remembered hearing the sound six years ago. It was beautiful, and it filled him with hope. And he needed as much hope as he could get.

Merlin swung down from his tree easily, letting himself fall into the shallow waters of the lake. The small silver minnows that darted around in the clear inch of liquid scattered. Merlin's bright blue eyes scanned the area. They were here, he knew it. His magic knew it. It had reacted to the pair, sending the boy a subconscious message. He would need the Doctor. If there was any way he could survive the coming trial without losing himself, he would need the Doctor.

And the Doctor needed him. The Doctor inspired hope, in everyone except himself, just like Merlin would. They both so desperately needed hope. Not yet, for the Doctor, he still had Rose. But one day Rose would be gone. He would find Martha, and Donna, and the Ponds, and Clara, and River, and they would help him. Like Rose helped him. But his heart had been damaged many years ago. Before even Rose. Yes, the Doctor and Merlin needed each other, and Merlin's magic, and the Doctor's TARDIS knew it.

There! There was someone in the trees. Two someone's. They were laughing, giggling like children. A spiky haired man and a blond woman, the Doctor and Rose, stumbled out of the bushes. They were saying something about 'Queen Victoria' and Merlin could swear he heard the word 'werewolf'. Their laughter subsided when they caught sight of Merlin, who had made his way into the grass beside the sand.

"Hello." He said, curiosity burning in his blue grey eyes.

"Hi." Rose chirped, equally curios.

"Hang on, you were here before." The Doctor realized. A huge grin broke out across his face. "Merlin, wasn't it?" Merlin nodded slowly. The Doctor strode towards him, beaming. He shook his hand vigorously, a gesture that thoroughly confused Merlin, and spoke excitedly. "Hallo! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Remember us?"

Merlin smiled, the man's enthusiasm contagious."Yes, I remember."

Rose was watching the interaction, and amused smile on her face. The she seemed to notice the bruise on Merlin's collar. He had been able to hide it from his mother, but the Doctor's handshake had moved his shirt. "'ang on. What's that?" She nodded to it.

Merlin adjusted his shirt. "Nothing." Rose arched an eyebrow, and the Doctor's eyes narrowed.

"How old are you, Merlin?" He asked. Merlin's brow furrowed.

"Twelve, why?" The Doctor just continued to stare at him. Merlin fidgeted. He didn't like being under such scrutiny. With a secret like his, he tried not to draw attention to himself.

"Tell me, what's a boy like yourself doing out here, all alone?"

"I come here to think." He replied, mostly honestly. The fierce expression disappeared from the Doctor's face, and his infectious smile was back in place.

"What about your friends?" Rose asked gently, guessing, quite correctly, that it was a sore subject.

"He's not in the village right now. He left a few days ago, but he'll be back soon." Merlin replied with a confidence he didn't feel. Yes, he believed Will when he said he was coming back. Logically, he _knew_ Will was coming home. But he still felt nervous. Because what if the other boys and their parents were right? What he was evil, and Will had realized he was a monster?

His mother constantly reassured him that he wasn't, but Merlin wasn't quite convinced. The Doctor and Rose seemed to pick up on his insecurity. "Are you lonely?" Rose asked kindly, she felt bad for him. The Doctor understood. He had always been a bit of an outcast. He knew how it felt to be alone. But Merlin stubbornly shook his head.

Rose didn't believe him, but let the matter drop. "Doctor," She jerked her head away. The Doctor flashed Merlin a quick grin, before following Rose. "He's all alone. And you saw that bruise, he's so skinny and small. He would be an easy target, especially where he is, in this time period."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, I know. But what are we supposed to do about it?" Rose looked at him pointedly, then back to where they had come from. "Rose." The Doctor warned.

"What?"

"He's just a kid."

"Exactly. A lonely little kid who needs a friend." Rose wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this, but something was telling her she should. The Doctor felt it too. Usually he would be staunchly opposed to bringing a child, he knew full well that the TARDIS was a dangerous life. But one trip, just to help him not be so alone, that couldn't hurt.

Well, as you can imagine, Merlin was quite eager to go. He was, as previously stated, a very clever, curious boy. And he had always loved the stars. Often he would sit and watch them from his tree, reflected in his lake, until his mother called. He told the Doctor this, and he was delighted. Five minutes later, the three were standing in front of the TARDIS.

Merlin stared at it, enraptured. He had never seen anything like it. Oh, sure. Just looking at it, it didn't seem that special. But there before it, Merlin could feel the magic of the box. She was alive and ancient. And so, so beautiful.

He touched the vivid blue door, and it swung open without prompting. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other in surprise. Sure, the TARDIS adored Rose, and loved her Doctor, but they had never seen Her welcome someone that way. Merlin stepped through the doors, eyes wide with wonder. "She's beautiful." He breathed. The Doctor grinned.

"The best ship in the universe." He rubbed the edge of the door fondly. "She's called the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space." A small laugh escaped Merlin, his eyes shining with joy. Rose beamed at him. The Doctor raced up to the console and spun around, brown eyes twinkling.

"Welcome aboard, Merlin."


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin stared around the console room, blue eyes wide with delight. The Doctor grinned smugly, and Rose stood at his shoulder, smiling softly. "What do you think?" The Doctor asked, leaning against the octogonal structure.

"It's beautiful." Merlin whispered, walking slowly forward. Rose met the Doctor's eyes, a knowing look on her face.

"So, Merlin, all of time and space, where do you wanna start?"

Merlin looked at the Doctor, his small face glowing with joy. "Anywhere. I don't care." A bright grin decorated the Doctor's face at those words.

"Anywhere it is, then."

* * *

><p>The Doctor, Rose, and Merlin piled into the TARDIS, giggling like school children. "Who calls a planet Anywhere?" The Doctor laughed. Rose shook her head, breathless. The Doctor darted up to the console, Rose and Merlin a step behind. Merlin had been a delightful companion. Clever, curious, and compassionate. However, the Doctor wasn't too pleased when the first thing he and Rose did was <em>wander off. <em>At least they had been together. "Where to know?" He danced around madly, opening his mouth to ramble. Rose cut him off before he could.

"Back to Ealdor with this one, we need to get you home before your mother worries." Merlin began to protest, but was halted by a yawn.

"Fine," he grumbled, with a pout to rival the Doctor's when he was in a bad mood. Rose had to fight a giggle. He was adorable, all dimples and big ears. She smiled fondly, remembering how the Doctor used to look, with his leather jackets and northern accent.

"Back to Ealdor it is." The Doctor replied cheerfully. He jerked a lever down, and the TARDIS lurched, groaning and wheezing. They clung on, smiling widely.

* * *

><p>The Doctor was the first out of the TARDIS doors, stepping into the afternoon sun that filtered through the thick trees. Merlin stepped out after him, Rose on his heels. "How long have I been gone?"<p>

"About five minutes." The Doctor replied smugly. Rose lifted an eyebrow.

"Really? Not five months?" The Doctor looked scandalized at the thought, and Merlin laughed. The Doctor and Rose had filled him in on their previous adventures while they had wandered Anywhere, sampling strange food and games. That particular misadventure had been one of Roses biggest grievances. Merlin sobered, turning around.

"Will I see you again?" He asked, terrified of the answer. Rose and the Doctor shared a look.

"'Course you will." Rose answered, the Doctor grinning. Merlin's face lit up, and he launched himself at the pair, wrapping his long, skinny arms around them. He pulled away with a blinding smile on his pale face.

"Merlin?" Hunith's voice echoed around the woods.

"Bye," Merlin said, then spun and raced away. Rose and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS, grinning.

* * *

><p>Merlin skidded into the small, two roomed house, flushed and grinning. Hunith smiled at the sight of her son looking so happy. It was a rare thing, and her heart ached at the thought. She nearly laughed as she got a good look at Merlin. His hair was wet, tinged blue and mussed. His clothes were askew, and splotched with colors. (Anywhere had been having a festival. It was wonderful.) That wasn't the cause of her bemused smile, though. "Where did you get that?"<p>

Merlin reached up to his neck, touching the soft piece of cloth that Rose had found for him, the exact shade of blue as the TARDIS. "A friend gave it to me."


	4. Chapter 4

From that day forward, Merlin always wore a neckerchief, remembering the first time he had Travelled. The Doctor and Rose were true to their word, coming back every few days to whisk Merlin away. Merlin was overjoyed. He loved life on the TARDIS. All of time and space outside those doors. All that wonder and beauty. The stars, the planets, the people.

The Doctor and Rose showed him all the good in the universe. Kindness, bravery, compassion, and mercy. But they also showed him all the evil. The corruption, selfishness, hatred and greed…

Merlin was sitting in his tree, eyes darting about. He fidgeted anxiously, excited and nervous. Last week the Doctor had taken he and Rose to a planet called Vermidion. It was a world of oceans, interspersed with small volcanic island. Blue islands. The sand sparkled like sapphire dust, and the freshwater ocean was dyed pearl white, populated by strange and wonderful creatures and plants.

The wheezing groan filled the air, and Merlin sprang from his tree, this time landing on the grass instead of in the water. The TARDIS faded into sight, the Doctor stepping out ahead of Rose. Amazingly, the Doctor and Merlin's relationship was actually linear. Rose looked troubled, she kept shooting the Doctor looks when he didn't notice. The Doctor's shoulders were hunched slightly, his brown eyes dull.

A strange man that Merlin didn't recognize followed them. His skin was dark, and his brown eyes darted constantly to the Doctor, sparkling angrily.

"Doctor?" The twelve-and-a-half year old asked worriedly. The pair pasted on false smiles, though they _were _glad to see him.

"Merlin!" The Doctor cried in delight. The other man's eyes widened. Merlin's azure eyes focused on the Doctor accusingly.

"What did you do?" He asked, running over and wrapping his thin arms around Rose. The Doctor looked shocked, and the other man looked perversely glad.

"Nothin' Merlin. It's fine." Rose assured the raven haired boy. He met her hazel eyes suspiciously. The other man narrowed his eyes. Merlin decided to let the matter drop, Rose and The Doctor wouldn't talk until they were ready.

"Who are you?" Merlin asked, as politely as he could, drawing away from Rose.

"Oh, ah, this is Mickey." Rose spoke for him. Mickey nodded his head.

"Right!" The Doctor clapped his hands together. "We should be off then." He stuck his hands in his pockets and started walking back to the TARDIS. Rose and Merlin followed, used to it, but Mickey looked a bit annoyed.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the TARDIS moments later. Merlin stopped to touch the door fondly before following the others inside. The TARDIS hummed under his hand, like a cat purring. The inside was just as beautiful and impossible as it had been before. Merlin felt oddly used to it by now.<p>

"So, Doctor, where are we going now?" Mickey asked.

"Dunno. Merlin?" The Doctor looked up from the console. Merlin frowned as he thought, pale skin creasing.

"Somewhere sunny." He decided. It had been raining in Ealdor a lot recently.

"Somewhere sunny it is then." The Doctor chuckled. He grinned, grabbed a lever, and pulled.

* * *

><p>Merlin was the first off the TARDIS, holding Rose's hand. He looked around, and frowned. Rose gave a half laugh, half sigh. "Doctor, you did it again!" She called. The Doctor stuck his head out of the TARDIS doors, and frowned.<p>

"Ah, oops."

They stood in a large room, clearly in a spaceship. The top was glass, showing the stars and swirling galaxies around them. It was dimly lit, and chilly. The opposite of what they had been aiming for. Merlin peered around.

"Where are we?" He asked. The Doctor walked past them, footsteps tapping loudly on the metal.

"Oh! We're in the Kiluain sector! Lovely." The Doctor smiled out into space, head craned back. "That galaxy, over there," he pointed to a swirling cloud of blue and pink, " is called the-"

He never got to finish. The floor lurched and an alarm blared. The quartet stumbled, nearly falling. Screams and shouts echoed around them. The Doctor and Rose shared a look. "Come on!" The Doctor took off, heading _towards _the screaming. Merlin took off after them, delighted. Mickey groaned.

"Again?" He sighed to the empty air, before following them.


	5. Chapter 5

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Their footsteps echoed in the dim metal corridor, the light flickering in the ceiling. The screams grew nearer as Merlin gamely kept up with the Doctor and Rose. Mickey was lagging a bit, still not used to all the running./p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The four skidded to a halt when the corridor opened up to another room, like the one they had landed in. It was chaos. People were running around and shouting, fighting and throwing things. It looked as though the room was a market of some kind, now thrown into disarray. The fight seemed divided between two groups.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The first seemed to be the civilians, dressed in odd, brightly colored clothes (well, odd to Merlin, they weren't very different from 2014 styles). The others were dressed in incredibly cliche "villain" clothes. Dark leather trench coats over black clothes with black combat boots, weapons stuffed into waistbands, and, of course, masks. They were white porcelain, sculpted like bone.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"There was a clear leader. He was humanoid, tall and buff, but his skin was a pale green, with glittering blue-black markings and a thin, strong tail. His minions were grabbing people and holding them at gunpoint, while the Boss shouted orders.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The Doctor whipped out his sonic, pointing it at the light above the ringleader. The device whirred, and the light exploded, sparking. The Leader howled with rage and pain, before glaring at the Doctor. He shouted something in a guttural growl, and the Minions retreated, disappearing without a trace. The Leader followed them, seeming to melt into the chaos.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"People continued to weep and wail for a moment, before falling into quiet whispers, drawing apart. Merlin blinked in confusion as the crowd parted down the middle. A woman was walking towards them, with a strong, purposeful stride. Two armed guards flanked her.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"One guard was a young human with dark hair and olive toned skin, the other the same species as the 'villain' Leader. It was the woman that commanded attention, though. Her skin was blue-green, with beautiful black marks. Onyx hair hung down her back in waves. Her lionlike tail twitched with agitation. She had a striking face, with a regal, feline air. Slit pupiled, glowing amber eyes blazed with anger, and her pointed ears twitched. All in all, she cut an imposing figure.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Merling could practically feel Mickey's shock, but Rose, the Doctor, and Merlin himself were unfazed by her appearance. In fact, they were delighted.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The Woman and her guards stopped in front of the quartet. The Doctor grinned and stuck out a hand. "Hallo! I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, Merlin, and Mickey."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The trio looked vaguely shocked at the Doctor's cheerful demeanor, and their eyes flickered momentarily to Merlin. The Woman recovered first.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Very well, then, Doctor. I am Captain Adira Marks, these two boys are Josh," The human nodded, "and Maddir. If you would come with us, please." She turned and marched away without waiting for a response.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The Doctor looked at the other three, shrugging. Merlin and Rose smiled at the face he was making. They hurried after Captain Adira, Maddir and Josh bringing up the rear.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rose leaned into the Doctor, speaking in a hushed voice. "What are they?"p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Not sure. The look like natives of Luarlein, one of the major planets of the Kiluain Sector, in the Galaxy I pointed out earlier." The Doctor replied in an equally quiet tone. "Luarlians are famous for channeling psychic energy, what humans call magic. Like our little friend here." The Doctor grinned delightedly at a wide eyed Merlin.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Do you think they could teach me?" He breathed in wonder. The Doctor nodded.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Mm, maybe. As soon as we figure out what's going on here. Speaking of," The Doctor raised his voice. "Where are we?"p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adira looked surprised. "You don't know?"p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No idea!" The Doctor quipped cheerfully. Adira frowned.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""This is Ark 15."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The Doctor sucked in a breath."What year is it, Adira?"p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adira shook her head. "Five billion, eight thousand, one hundred eleven."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Realization filled the Doctor's expression.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Doctor?" Rose questioned.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""This is a Colony ship, Rose. Right now, Luarlein is having a major climate crisis, caused by the comet, Archimedes IX, crashing into the planet. Luckily, the people knew it was coming, and the planet was evacuated, but it could take anywhere from fifty to one hundred years for the planet to be safe to occupy again."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Why?" Merlin asked.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Luarlein's core is made of highly magnetic materials, but it's continents have a conflicting pull. They are suspended in the air around the core. Huge floating islands in the sky." A delighted grin covered his face. "Oh, it's beautiful. I should take you." He looked to the others, the familiar glint of excitement in his eyes. "Anyway, the comet threw the balance off, and it'll take a while before the islands and chunks of Archimedes IX stabilize. Until then, there are, ooh, around one hundred Arks waiting in the drift of the Kiluian Sector, until it's safe to return home. Brilliant."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adira snorted. "It was. Until this happened." She pointed to the flickering lights, and dented walls.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What happened?" Merlin asked. Adira growled like a cat.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""My father was assassinated. I was voted into office, and, well, some people weren't very happy. One, in particular. He hired thugs and mercenaries, trying to take over. We've been living in fear for a little over a year." She looked at the Doctor, shining eyes glittering with anger and grief. "Do you know what the worst part is? Out of all this, the sabotage, my fathers death, innocents dying every day?" She laughed bitterly. "The worst part, is that the leader of the rebellion is Keeter. My emBrother.em"/p 


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry, I was working on my original book (first draft done!), and then school, and my muse abandoned me. This is ridiculously short, sorry, but you deserve something. You have all been wonderful. Enjoy! **

**PS: for those of you who were wondering, I am not planning to abandon this story. **

* * *

><p>Merlin was horrified. How could you betray someone like that? Adira and Keeter were family, and she clearly loved him. She wouldn't be hurting so much if she didn't. The Doctor's dark eyes flashed dangerously. Rose and Mickey wore identical expressions of shock and anger.<p>

It didn't matter how long she travelled, Rose never failed to be angered by people's cruelty. Mickey was still new at this. Still unscarred by the horrors that Rose and the Doctor had encountered. Because of this, he was hit slightly harder than the others, even Merlin.

Merlin may be young, but he lived in medieval Europe. Coups, betrayals, assassination attempts, and invasions weren't exactly unheard of. But that didn't mean it didn't bother him.

Adira read their expressions easily. Her sarcastic smile and cold eyes, glittering like chips of golden ice, didn't manage to hide her pain. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, marching on determinedly.

"What has he managed to do?" The Doctor questioned, voice hard. Adira sniffed angrily.

"He sabotaged the engines, the oxygen dispensers, the electrical grid, even the water!"

"Is he suicidal?" Rose asked in alarm. Another bitter grin.

"Not quite. He rerouted everything to the auxiliary ship. Keeter and his thugs are perfectly safe, while _my _people are dying. We fixed what we could, but Keeter took everyone qualified to save us."

"Took them?" Mickey asked nervously.

"Yes. And anyone who resisted, he killed." The Doctor stiffened, eyes flashing. A bitter sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob escaped Adira's lips, wicked canines flashing. "My brother may be cruel, but he's clever."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. Clever villains were predictable, it was the stupid, and insane you needed to watch out for. Their brains worked differently than the others, and that made them unpredictable. Dangerous.

So far Keeter sounded like someone they could handle- No. Not withe Merlin. It wasn't safe. He frowned. Adira was still talking. "... we can't even send for help, Keeter is blocking any communication except his."

"We'll help." Rose offered instantly. "Right Doctor?" She turned her hazel eyes to him. He opened his mouth to refuse, to remind her Merlin was here and it wasn't safe, when a pair of wide azure eyes met his, wide and pleading

He looked back and forth between the two, ignoring Mickey's incredulous expression. With a groan, he caved. "Oh, all right." Rose gave him her tongue-in-teeth smile, and Merlin beamed goofily at him. He couldn't help it. He returned their smiles with his own crooked grin.

Adira nodded solemnly, hope flaring in her gut. That was something she hadn't felt in a long time. She had absolutely no idea why she was telling them this, she had meant to bring them to her office and question them, but somewhere along the way that had gotten lost.

"Follow me then." She said firmly, altering their course, a new purpose in her step. The Doctor's dark eyes flashed, and his mad grin widened.

"Allons-y"


	7. Chapter 7

Adira led them to the engines. The room was fairly large, focused around a mass of metal and glowing pieces that Merlin assumed was the engine. He didn't know much about technology, but he had picked up bits and pieces throughout their travels. Enough to know that the engine (for it was the engine) was badly damaged.

Bits of metal were twisted, wires cut, and the lights flickered pathetically. That didn't stop a huge smile spreading across the Doctor's face. "Oh, beautiful!" He marveled, walking forward. Rose smiled fondly. The Doctor whipped out his glasses, peering at the machine.

"It runs partially on the same energy that you have, Merlin" He grinned excitedly. "Magic, for simplicity's sake." Well, that explained the floating golden lights and hovering pieces. The whole thing looked almost organic in construction. The Doctor could almost picture it in it's former glory.

Gracefully twisting pieces of metal, carved with elegant script, held together by magic embedded in the material. Luarlein used materials that were naturally receptive to magic. It shone like liquid metal, reflecting the shimmering lights like stars against calm ocean waters. Absolutely beautiful, the materials were unique to planets where magic was common practice, and were abundant in Luarlein and it's neighbors.

There was some on earth, but it was scarce. Gemstones were more commonly used for capturing energy, and occasionally silver. They worked almost like batteries, but building the entire structure from such materials allowed for more power and efficiency.

The elegant, swirling script was used for channeling energy as well. The TARDIS could translate it, but usually left it be unless you were actively trying to read it. Writings like the ones on the engine would be everywhere on a ship such as this one, both on the ship itself and with it's people. It was common practice to embroider the words and phrases into cloth and carve it into wood or stone.

Other gadgets of similar construction were scattered around the circular room, wired into the core of the ship. Luarlein's prided themselves on their craftsmanship, so much magic went into everything they made they seemed to take on lives of their own. They weren't sentient by any means, but they were certainly remarkable.

The Doctor could help with the physical damage, but the magical…

"Adira, how good are you at magic?" The Doctor looked at the woman standing a short distance back. Adira sighed.

"Very. But I'm afraid I can't do much. That engine was built by a team of highly trained magic users, we would need at least four to fix this, maybe more depending on what Keeter did." Adira replied, frustrated.

The Doctor looked over to her. "Surely you have four magic users left?" Adira growled.

"Yes. But it's more complicated than that." Her tail lashed. She crouched beside him. "See this?" She tapped a symbol carved crudely into the dark metal. All the other symbols were carved delicately, with an expert hand. This mark was roughly scratched into the shimmering metal, large and imperfect. "It won't let us. Keeter did his job well. He always did have a talent for things like this." She sighed mournfully.

"What does it do?" The Doctor asked.

"That's the problem. We don't _know._" The Doctor frowned.

"Remove it."

"I can't. See here?" She traced the lower right section of the complex symbol. "This locks the magic. Ordinarily a skilled sorcerer would be able to remove it, but this part," she pointed to another section, "destabilizes it. If we could break down the rest and unravel it, then we would be fine. But one misstep and who knows what will happen." She replied. A hint of her desperation leaked into her voice as she ran a calloused hand through her shimmering hair.

Merlin slipped up behind the two adults, studying the image curiously. Something tugged at him, nagging at the back of his mind. An image flickered behind his eyelids. He was helping his mother untangle some yarn. He had been struggling with it for a long time, trying to untangle it without damaging it. Will had come in, looking for him. He had laughed at Merlin's frustration, taking the knot from him. After a moment of careful study, he tugged a few strings and the knot fell away easily.

Merlin closed his eyes, allowing instinct to take over. His magic carefully reached out, investigating the tangled web of power Keeter had set up. He had woven the magic into a tapestry, pulling the separate threads into an image. Merlin was looking for the week spot in that image, where he had tied off the proverbial string.

He carefully, carefully searched, well aware that an any error would collapse the delicate structure, and not in the way they wanted. There! Where three of the runes all met the one that created the instability. Even for Merlin, who knew next to nothing about magic, appreciated the craftsmanship. He carefully latched on to the weak spots and pulled.

The magic didn't want to let go. It clung on with everything it had, twining itself tighter, but Merlin wasn't going to give in so easily. He gritted his teeth and _pulled_. With a almighty wrench, the magic came free, unraveling and snapping back into alignment with the rest of the ship.

The shock wave sent Merlin stumbling back, dizzy with the effort it had taken. He fell to the ground, distantly aware of Rose's exclamation as she lunged to catch him. Merlin watched as the rune glowed before the metal melted, filling in the symbol as though it had never been there.


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin groaned, rubbing his head. "Ow."

The next thing he knew he was enveloped in a hug so tight in squeezed the breath from his lungs. Rose was clinging to him, the spicy sweet scent of her perfume warm and comforting.

Merlin hugged her back, smiling slightly to himself. He loved his mother, he really really did, and he appreciated it, but every now and then there was that flash of fear, the the grief in her eyes. He knew he was not an easy child, and he knew how much it hurt her. There were no such restrictions with Rose.

Rose felt similarly about Merlin. She adored the boy, and when she saw him collapse her heart nearly stopped. She relaxed slightly when she felt him return her hug, and loosened her grip a bit.

The Doctor abandoned the machine, darting over to Rose and Merlin, falling to her knees and whipping out his sonic. Adira watched them in concern from her place beside the engine.

The Doctor waved the bright blue light over Merlin, the device whirring and chirping. He sat back on his heels and stared at it, before relaxing. "He's fine. The Doctor assured.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and released Merlin. "Don't do that again." She commanded sternly. Merlin smiled sheepishly.

The Doctor laughed to himself at the hypocrisy of that statement. Rose was constantly putting herself in danger to protect other, and Merlin was exactly the same. Jeopardy friendly.

Mickey watched the whole interaction in confusion. Honestly, he felt a bit unnecessary. When Merlin entered the picture the whole dynamic changed. Merlin, much like the Doctor, was one of those people who effected everyone he met.

"Doctor!" Adira called.

"Oh! Yes. Right." He ran back to her, pulling off his coat and throwing it to the side.

"Merlin unlocked the seal." Adira was practically vibrating with delight.

"But Keeter is still out there. There is nothing stopping him from doing it again." Rose realised.

"Mm. Or worse." The Doctor muttered ominously. Merlin stared at him for a moment, before scoffing.

"Listen to you, all doom and gloom." He reprimanded, his naturally cheerful, optimistic nature shining through.

The Doctor and Rose grinned at him, before the Doctor sprang to his feet. "Right!" He cried. "Let's get to work!"

Merlin grinned, scrambling to his feet.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere Keeter Marks felt a wave of powerful magic deftly unravel his own. He snarled, clenching his fists.<p>

"Katelyn!" He snapped. A slender girl hurried forward. She was a pretty young thing, and trembling with fear from head to toe. Keeter curled his lip in disgust. Katelyn was half Luarlein and half human. She, the rest of her kind and the humans crawling over the universe disgusted him.

He could see the humanity in the chocolate color and curls in her long, silky hair. In the lightness of her blue skin, the roundness in her ears. Her eyes were darker than most of Luarlein, her honey eyes shining with terror. The dark patterns on her soft skin were more subtle, thinner and lighter than most.

As rare as people like Katelyn were, most people had no grudge against them. Keeter and his inner circle were different. And Katelyn knew it. Her kind and the humans he had taken were in constant terror for her life.

Her slender finger clutched a dark tablet, trying to prevent them from trembling. Her long slender tail twitched nervously against her will.

"Yes?" She asked, fidgeting with her sharp blazer, and smoothing her pencil skirt. Her voice trembled despite her best efforts.

"Advance the schedule." Keeter growled.

"Yessir." Katelyn whimpered, hurrying away, high heels clicking on the smooth metal floor.

The moment she was out of earshot she slumped against the wall, pressing a shaking hand against her lips, eyes stinging with tears. "Oh, gods. Please help me."


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor waved his sonic screwdriver over the engine, reconnecting wires and fusing bits of metal. Adira stood on the other side, brow furrowed in concentration, eyes blazing brilliant gold as she muttered under her breath. Merlin watched them both with rapt fascination, awe clear on his face. Yes, the Doctor had shown him amazing things, but they had never failed to astound him. He hoped they never would. Especially this. He never wanted to take this for granted, and he doubted he ever could. Seeing all of this, traveling with the Doctor, had taught him how very special his gifts were. And seeing someone else use magic, freely and without fear or malice, it was beautiful.

Rose stood to the side with Mickey, talking quietly, but she noticed the look on Merlin's face. It made her smile despite her tense exchange with Mickey. She felt a soft pang of regret for Merlin. Until Uther either saw reason or no longer sat on the throne of Camelot, he would have to hide his gifts. Live in fear for his life every day. No matter how many times she saw things like that, it still got to her. Especially this time. She knew Merlin, cared for him. He didn't have a malicious bone in his body. Watching him, staring eagerly at the Doctor and Adira, Rose let out a small sigh.

Mickey heard, and followed her gaze. "Rose? Is that, really…?" He couldn't finish the thought. Rose smiled.

"Merlin? As in the Merlin?" Mickey nodded mutely. "We think so." Mickey felt a slight hint of jealousy at the easy, warm tone with which she referred to 'we'. 'The Doctor and Rose', he thought bitterly. And now Merlin, too.

"You know," Rose continued, laughing and oblivious to Mickey's irritation. Instead, she was watching the Doctor dance around the engine, waving the sonic and frowning in concentration. "I always thought that Merlin would turn out to be the Doctor. I mean, you've heard the legends, yeah?"

"Yeah." Mickey said glumly. Rose frowned, opening her mouth to say something. Before she could, the Doctor gave a triumphant "ah-Ha!", grinning like a mad man. Adira was beaming too, and Merlin's eyes sparkled. As the last piece clicked into place, he could feel the thrum of magic through the ship, the flush of power, warm and delighted.

Merlin looked at the Doctor, eyes shining with determination. "What now?"He asked. Adira's eyes gleamed, and she lifted her chin proudly. "Now, we call for help."

Keeter roared in anger, slinging fragile machinery and glass to the floor. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. First they unravel his spell, and then they repair the engine. His pretentious brat of a sister could never do this on her own, but there was no one left on the ark that could help her. He had made sure of that.

Katelyn hovered by the sliding steel framed door, trembling. Fear had been a constant emotion in her life for the past few weeks. She was beginning to feel cold and numb inside. Her eyes remained dry and her face blank, but her hands trembled constantly. Every now and then she would be crippled by her terror, collapsing in on herself and ceasing to function.

They killed Kira. Katelin had been rushing paperwork to and fro, trying to be unobtrusive and on time. The halls had been empty, the only sound the clicking of her heels on the gleaming steel. At least, it should have been. Slowly she had picked up the sound of whimpering cries. Terrified, she had ducked into a maintenance closet.

She could still hear the sound of the gun discharging. Peering out of the crack in the door, she had watched two of Keeter's thugs haul Kira away, her slender tail dragging on the ground, head lolling and pretty face blank.

Kira had been one of the few hybrids left, and their numbers were rapidly dwindling. Katelyn was just waiting for someone to come for her. She was sure it would happen any day now. Every time her door swung open ice filled her stomach, every time her comm buzzed she was sure she was a dead woman.

Katelyn knew she wasn't long for this world, none of them were, and she was terrified. Before, she had so much to live fore. She was young, beautiful, and talented. Now, though, now she lived like a ghost. Going through the motions, attached to this life through fear and anger. The small spark of hope she had been harboring was diminishing rapidly. If no one had saved them by now, then the chances were she would die here, captive and frightened. She didn't want that. She didn't want to end up like Kira, or the others that had died. A faceless, forgotten name in a long list, remembered only by the brutal event that brought her the end.

She stifled a sob, before forcing herself to straighten up and clenching her fists. She was a Luarlein, and she would not go to her death sniveling and pathetic. Smoothing her hair and grasping her clipboard tightly, she stepped into the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so this chapter has nothing to do with the Doctor or Merlin, but it is important, I swear. It may not seem like it now, but it will be.**

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Katelyn kept her voice as neutral as possible. The act was one she had gotten very, very good at. Her voice was smooth and chilly, and infused with the utmost respect. Her loathing and fear was kept bottled up within as an acidic compound, the bound toxicity burning her insides and begging to be unleashed. Sometimes at night she allowed herself to indulge those emotions, imagining with sick delight ending Keeter's reign of terror in the most satisfying ways she could. Katelyn had never been delicate, or particularly reserved. She may look it, but she had grown up with a will of steel. Once she had been cornered by a group of creeps when the power was down. It was a rare occurrence, but the ship needed maintenance and the crew's safety had to be ensured. Four drunk thugs had attempted to assault her. She thoroughly beat the snot out of each and every one of them without a second thought, before calmly calling an ambulance. Her mother had taught her well, glowing with pride every time Katelyn snapped at bullies and creeps with that particular kind of vicious grace. Her father had reprimanded her, but his lips had twitched with amusement.<p>

Her father… Katelin's insides felt warm, remembering him. He had been a human, but the best kind. Her mother had never meant to fall in love, but after the first time her parents had matched their rapier wit, Katelyn's mother had fallen head over heels for the dashing young man. She remembered them holding hands, staring at each other with nauseating adoration. Her father was a good man, but he was dead now. Katelyn's family had been intellectuals, fairly well known ones. Her father was one of the first to go, murdered in front of the whole ship. It wasn't quick, either. The gods knew what had become of her mother. After her father's execution Katelyn had been dragged away. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye. And that acidic rage was back. Hot and cold at the same time, it made her fingers itch to reach out and take revenge. Luarliniens were hunters. An ancient, proud race of warriors. She may be half human, but she still had a fight in her. If anything, her humanity made her even more dangerous. Keeter thought she and her kind were abominations. One day, she would prove him right. And she would enjoy every second of it.

But then those eyes landed on her. Cold, calculating, clever, and completely mad. They took her breath, stole it right from her lungs, and her defiance shriveled inside of her. Whenever he looked at her, she had the uncomfortable feeling of being torn apart. Broken down right in front of him, her insides and secrets bared to his cutting gaze. Analyzed. Dissected. Her strengths and weaknesses assessed, categorized, and planned for. It was almost as though Keeter knew her thoughts before she did. For all she knew, he did. It made her feel violated. Her thought were the only things she had left, and in his presence she wasn't sure even those were safe.

"Yes. Good." His voice sent shivers down her spine, and not the good kind. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself. Keeter was unsettling, and she hated him with everything she had, but he was undeniably attractive. That was part of what made him so dangerous. He would have made a good leader, had he not been completely insane. Katelyn was very, very glad he had lost the election to Adira. Adira has a conviction and honest passion that commanded respect, but Keeter had this energy about him. A charisma that drew people to him like bees to honey. No. No, that was too harmless. He drew people to him like moths to a flame. He was a snare plant, and they his prey. And when he had them, when they got too close, he consumed them.

Movement snapped her out of her thoughts. "I need you to do something for me, darling." He glided over to her, paying no mind to the shattered glass on the ground. Katelyn had to fight not to gag as approached, carrying the pleasant smell of smoke warped by rage and oily madness. He wrapped his absurdly muscular arm around her, towing her further into the room. She barely choked out the next sentence, thanking the gods when her voice remained smooth and pleasant. She had always been an excellent liar. "What can I help you with, sir?" She learned very quickly after the first vicious bruises that it would not do to forget to call Keeter 'sir'.

He smiled evilly at her, and Katelyn grimaced behind her smile. "This is what you're going to do…"


End file.
